Posted by justa nother mom
a resident of Greenmeadow
on Jan 29, 2013 at 10:30 am

I'll bet the driver was white. When my African-American son struck a fire hydrant in a rainstorm, came home and immediately called PAPD, met the police in our home, agreed to and then did pay for the damage, he was STILL cited for hit and run and had to do jail time. We protested all the way to the DA level. The former police chief, who resigned amidst allegations of racism, with the cooperation of the DA, dismissed the charge, and our current police chief reinstated it which we didn't even know until we received the warrant for his arrest in the mail! To me, hitting PEOPLE and running ought to earn at least what hitting a THING does.

Posted by Just what?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 29, 2013 at 10:34 am

@justa nother mom:
The police are people too and they bring their racial stereotyping to the job along with their brains. It sucks but it's true. Good to see you speaking out about it though. Every little bit of awareness helps. Some years ago, it would have been unthinkable to have a (half-)black president, much less one whose middle name is Hussein. So we're making progress, albeit not fast enough.

Posted by Curious
a resident of Crescent Park
on Jan 29, 2013 at 10:44 am

Did the police check for impairment? ie alcohol or other drugs? Seems like this should be part of the story. Is the reason she got off on a misdemeanor because there were no injuries? Is that the deciding factor? I don't see how you can hit 3 things and not notice it unless you have some kind of problem

Posted by Barron Parker
a resident of Barron Park
on Jan 29, 2013 at 11:18 am

I have to agree with Curious and others: hitting a bicyclist and 2 cars and driving away does not sound like *misdemeanor* hit and run. And why was her name not released? Is someone being protected here?

Posted by Local resident
a resident of Evergreen Park
on Jan 29, 2013 at 11:23 am

It is only a misdemeanor if there is only property damage. If the cyclist or any other party was physically hurt it would be felony Hit an Run.

Jail time for hitting an inanimate object seems excessive in the case of the fire hydrant. Jail time of up to 6 months is possible for misdemeanor H&R but I'll bet it rarely gets enforced. Hopefully the person involved in this incident might learn some respect for others with a little change in perspective (jail time).

Posted by KP
a resident of South of Midtown
on Jan 29, 2013 at 11:23 am

@ Oh hell no, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood,
I hope your sarcasm is directed mainly to the lawyers, because if you think she shouldn't be sued or at least pay for more than a damn ticket- you're freakin crazy!
If she WASN'T impaired by alcohol or drugs, then she CAN"T DRIVE and maybe she only needs a damn bus pass!!! Have you thought of that?! Especially when you read about the boy who hit a stupid hydrant and was given jail time!?! REALLY?

Posted by John Roberts
a resident of Escondido School
on Jan 29, 2013 at 11:24 am

Notice how her name was withheld?
Now check the information PA police give to the local daily papers. The only people ever arrested in Palo Alto apparently are from other cities and their names are always publicized.
I know PA folk are special, but surely they must sometimes break the law and get caught. Like this time!
Meanwhile, other jurisdictions (MP, RC, Mtnview) do not give the newspapers the names of people arrested, perhaps because at that point they are innocent.
BTW, they should be throwing the book at this woman, and barring her from campus (which, lest you forget, is private property.)

Posted by justa nother mom
a resident of Greenmeadow
on Jan 29, 2013 at 11:25 am

Thanks for the support against profiling. Such support truly matters.
In my experience, the driver would have been tested and named in the story, if African-American. If 18 or 19 and male, he would have been called a man. If white, he would have been released without testing and called a teenager.
Yes, profiling sucks, and keeps on sucking - life out of the community. It leads to a mutual distrust between tax-paying citizens and those we fund for our protection, a reluctance to report anything, a distrust of what is reported, and on and on.

Posted by Cellie
a resident of Meadow Park
on Jan 29, 2013 at 11:38 am

I'd like it if cell phone usage checks became as common as road side sobriety checks when situations like this happen. I'm sure the cop did some sort of sobriety check. It'd be great if there was some way to immediately check usage of her cell phone.

Posted by Historical Perspective
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Jan 29, 2013 at 1:16 pm

I am reminded of a situation a few years ago when an 18 year old Paly student did something similar and unfortunately the cyclist died and the other cyclist was seriously hurt. She was eventually jailed as a result of her hit and run.

The only difference between these two stories as far as I can see is that the police only take action if there is a death.

Posted by Big Al
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 29, 2013 at 2:17 pm

lets hear it for the peanut gallery.
everybody has something to say (or complain about)
but nobody actually saw what happened
just a bunch of reactionaries i suppose
looking for a bone to chew on
during these rough winter days out west
why not get away from the internet for a few days
and explore the great outdoors
who knows
maybe you will actually witness something
and then you can write about it
with meaning

Posted by Ladeedee
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 29, 2013 at 2:49 pm

I used to work on the Stanford campus. One day, my son, who was in middle school, came to check in with me after school. On the way home, a driver ran a red light on Campus Dr and hit him, then took off after driving around his prostrate form and damaged bike! Fortunately, he had only minor injuries.

I think this happens more than the public knows about. I have had a few Stanford students tell me they have had accidents of a minor nature on Campus Dr over the years, and the Stanford police have not been very helpful.

Posted by anonymous
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Jan 29, 2013 at 3:13 pm

Fair treatment under the law is important. I also wonder why the young lady's name was withheld (the driver) - she did several things affecting others and fled the scenes. That sounds serious to me, though I understand the police and DA have to decide according to the law.
I am always curious when some who commit public acts leading to arrest (and perhaps charges) are named and others are not.
Reminds me of the real tragedy a few years ago when the lady in wheelchair was struck and killed by an SUV-drivng Palo Alto mommie, whose name was withheld, even though the lady in the wheelchair was legally crossing a sidestreet off of Embarcadero as she had done many times before (in contrast to the recent jaywalking death...)

Posted by daniel
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Jan 30, 2013 at 8:04 am

How is this not a serious felony? I agree with the poster who theorized that the driver must have been white. I was once hit by a hit and run driver while riding my bicycle on the Stanford campus. Fortunately I suffered only light injuries. The driver was chased down by an off duty cop and arrested, but the case never went to trial. What's to deter such drivers from doing it again?

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